Hillsborough Cemetery is a large cemetery located in the

Auckland isthmus The Auckland isthmus, also known as the Tāmaki isthmus, is a narrow stretch of land on the North Island of New Zealand in the Auckland Region, and the location of the central suburbs of the city of Auckland, including the CBD. The isthmus i ...

suburb of Hillsborough.

Location

The cemetery lies on a ridge at the south of the

, overlooking the

Manukau Harbour The Manukau Harbour is the second largest natural harbour in New Zealand by area. It is located to the southwest of the Auckland isthmus, and opens out into the Tasman Sea. Geography The harbour mouth is between the northern head ("Burne ...

. The cemetery is split in two by a large forested valley, adjacent to the Hillsborough Reserve. Erosion is a problem for the cemetery, due to its hillside location. The cemetery is a part of the Waikōwhai Walkway, which extends for linking

Onehunga Onehunga is a suburb of Auckland in New Zealand and the location of the Port of Onehunga, the city's small port on the Manukau Harbour. It is south of the city centre, close to the volcanic cone of Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill. Onehunga is a ...

to Lynfield Cove. Road access is by Clifton Road, off Hillsborough Road, Route 15.

History

Hillsborough Cemetery is one of the older cemeteries in the Auckland Region. It was purchased by the

Borough Council and established in 1916, to provide more space for burials as Waikaraka Cemetery, closer to Onehunga, no longer had available space. During the first six years of operation, very few burials were undertaken at the cemetery, primarily of

pauper Pauperism (Lat. ''pauper'', poor) is poverty or generally the state of being poor, or particularly the condition of being a "pauper", i.e. receiving relief administered under the English Poor Laws. From this, pauperism can also be more generally ...

s along the eastern section along Goodall Street. Onehunga Borough Council advertised for a caretaker for Hillsborough Cemetery in 1917, when Waikaraka Cemetery was nearly full. Agreement was reached with Mount Roskill Road Board about access, though further discussed in 1923 and 1935. The cemetery was primarily in use between 1916 and 1976, and it served as an administration hub for the cemeteries of the area, and people were able to reach the cemetery through a bus service, which stopped within the cemetery. The cemetery features sections for three religious orders: St Mary's of Ponsonby, Little Sisters of the Poor (also of Ponsonby) and the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, of Waikowhai. The final plots in the cemetery were sold in 1974, however burials have continued in the reserved plots.

Burials

Some of the notable people buried at the cemetery include: * Bessie Blomfield (1880–1984), New Zealand artist known as Elizabeth Kendon, and daughter of Charles Blomfield * Charles Blomfield (1848–1926), New Zealand artist * James Bradney (1853–1936), New Zealand politician *

Bill Cunningham Bill Cunningham may refer to: People *Bill Cunningham (rugby union) (1874–1927), New Zealand rugby union player * Bill Cunningham (footballer), Irish international footballer active in the 1890s *Bill Cunningham (infielder) (1886–1946), profe ...

(1874–1927), New Zealand

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

player *

Hannah Dudley Hannah Dudley (1862–1931) was a Methodist mission sister who worked amongst Indians in Fiji, Indo-Fijians in the Suva area of Fiji for 13 years. She had few educational qualifications but was revered for her kind-heartedness and self-sacrifice. ...

(1862–1931), Australian missionary to Suva *

Edith Searle Grossmann Edith Howitt Searle Grossmann (née Searle, 8 September 1863 – 27 February 1931) was a New Zealand teacher, novelist, journalist and feminist. Early life Grossmann was born in Beechworth, Victoria, Australia on 8 September 1863, to Mary Ann ...

(1863–1931), New Zealand teacher and novelist * Richard Henry (1845–1929), New Zealand conservationist * Henry Kelliher (1896–1991), New Zealand businessman * Bobby Leach (1858–1926), the second person to go over the

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...

* Nisbet McRobie (1872–1929), New Zealand rugby union player, master printer, newspaper proprietor, and politician. *

William Joseph Napier William Joseph Napier (1857 – 28 November 1925) was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament for City Auckland (1899–1902) in New Zealand. Early life Napier was born in Ireland and arrived in New Zealand when he was five years old. He was educ ...

(1857–1925), New Zealand politician * Annette Paul (1863–1952), New Zealand salvation army officer * Margaret Beveridge Stevenson (1865–1941), New Zealand Baháʼí follower

Notes

{{Puketāpapa Local Board Area 1916 establishments in New Zealand Cemeteries in Auckland Puketāpapa Local Board Area Urban forests in New Zealand

Location

History

Burials

See also

Notes